“That…sounds lovely,” Linda labored in short breaths.
Paul looked up and locked eyes with Katie. She could tell by the look in his eyes what he was thinking and she remembered what he told them just a few minutes ago:
“If one of them scratches or bites you, then you’ll die and become one of them.”
“We have to hurry, Henry. We need to get her to hospital!” Katie said and they climbed faster.
They got to the fifth floor, looked in the window, and saw a family being viciously attacked by three ghouls. There was nothing that could be done so they proceeded up. On the sixth floor they looked in the flat’s window and witnessed a couple trying to reinforce their front door—there were undead outside trying to bust in. The couple only had a thin dining table and chairs to use, which weren’t strong enough. With each impact from the dead, their table and chairs were knocked looser. It wouldn’t be long before they got in.
“Keep going,” Paul told Henry and Katie. “Hey!” Paul called to the people inside.
The scared couple came to the window. “Can you help us?”
“We’re going to the roof. It’s the only way out!” Paul told them. They didn’t know what to do. “Come on!” Paul said and continued up.
The couple made up their minds when their door cracked and a part broke off, undead arms reaching in and clawing at everything. They opened their window and climbed out.
“Close the curtains and the window so they don’t know where you went,” Paul told them.
The man did as Paul instructed, but one of the undead at their door saw where its food went as it tore the door open.
They climbed as fast as they could, but helping Linda slowed everyone down. “Come on, move faster!” the man at the rear shouted.
The group had just passed the seventh floor when they heard a window break below. The man and woman at the rear looked down and saw three of the dead stenches come out looking for them. They were horrified when the things looked up and saw them. “Oh my God!” the young girl shouted.
“Hurry!” the man at the back shouted up. “They’re coming!”
The frightened couple moved faster up the fire escape until they pushed on Paul’s back, but he couldn’t move any faster because of Linda. “Stop pushing, damn you!” Paul shouted as he tried to turn around to use the gun. He was too late—the first corpse reached the man and attacked him. His girl screamed but couldn’t do anything to help. The man fought the best he could, but the dead creature was too strong. He couldn’t hold it off and it bit into his chest. He shouted in pain as it tore out some of his flesh and t-shirt. Blood sprayed his eyes and blinded him, but he kept fighting. The two struggled back and forth; hitting a window, shattering it, then fell back against the fire escape railing. The corpse pushed hard and the man went over, but he took the dead thing with him.
“Roger!” the woman screamed as she watched him fall.
The bodies hit the fire escape twice on the way down and smashed into the asphalt in the middle of the street. The noise from the fire escape impacts brought out more of the dead; they heard the girl scream and rushed up to get them. “Jesus!” Paul shouted. “Move. Get to the top, move it!”
They made it to the eighth floor, which was as high as the fire escape would go; the roof was one more floor up. Henry and Katie moved Linda aside for Paul to squeeze through. Linda’s bandage unraveled, but there was no time to fix it. Paul looked in the window of the flat. It looked empty. He tried to open the window, but it was locked so he kicked it in, undid the lock, opened the window, and climbed in. He looked around quickly and saw no one was around. “It’s safe, get in,” Paul told them.
Henry and Katie brought Linda through the window gently. By now she was delusional. “Are we at hospital yet?” she asked.
“No, sweetie. Almost though,” Henry answered.
“Really? But I can…smell ice cream.”
The new girl entered last, still sobbing from losing her boyfriend.
“Close the window and the curtains,” Paul told the girl as he moved toward the front door. “We have to get to the back stairwell to get down.”
Paul opened the front door slowly—just an inch—and spied the hallway for any movement, but no one was around. “It’s clear, let’s go.”
They followed Paul down the hallway to the stairwell. He opened the door and listened for anyone or anything. It was clear so they entered.
The group had only descended one floor when the silence was broken by the sudden noise of a door busting open beneath them. Paul looked over the railing and saw some of the undead; they couldn’t get down that way. One of the stenches saw Paul—it bellowed at the sight of prey and they ran up after them.
“Up!” Paul shouted. “We have to go back up! Go!”
They hurried upwards, Henry and Katie practically carrying Linda who was limp and almost unconscious. The undead ran fast and would catch them in moments. The group reached the last flight of stairs that led to the roof. Paul let Henry and Katie go up first with Linda. The other girl trailed behind on the last flight. “Come on!” Paul yelled to her.
She made it to the top of the stairs, but a fast mover grabbed her by the ankle and knocked her down. Before Paul could help her, they were all over her. She screamed in horror and reached out to Paul, but it was too late. He shot her in the head, and then ran as corpses came after him. He sprinted up the stairs and caught up with Henry and Katie struggling to open the roof door. “Open it!” he screamed, but they couldn’t. So he pushed by them and opened the door with a crash of his body.
The four of them burst through the door and fell onto the roof. Paul was on his back and saw the undead coming up the stairs for them, just a few feet away. He kicked the door and it slammed in their faces. Luckily, the latch engaged.
The dead slammed against it.
Paul got to his feet and ran the length of the roof perimeter looking for a way down. There was nothing. “Oh God,” he muttered to himself.
Linda was on her back and stared up at the sky with dilated eyes. She was dead, but they hadn’t noticed yet. Henry and Katie saw the massive amount of her blood seeping on the roof. Henry tried to redo her bandages, and then Katie looked into her eyes. “No. No. No,” she gasped.
“What is it?” Henry asked in a panic.
“Henry, she’s gone…Linda is gone,” she told him whimpering.
“What? No, she’s not,” he said in denial. “Linda? Babe, wake up!”
“I’m so sorry,” Katie said as she fell back and sat in tears.
Henry shook her and there was no response. He felt for her pulse, but there was none.
Paul looked at the next building over. The distance between them was over twenty feet and equal height—too far. He ran over and looked at the building on the other side. Its roof was lower and the gap was only about ten feet—it was possible to jump the distance. He ran to Katie and Henry. That’s when he realized Linda was dead. “Katie, we have to go,” Paul said and held his hand to her. “Henry, I’m sorry, but we have to go.”
“Where?” Henry asked.
“We can jump to the next roof over,” he said.
“Jump?” Henry said. “Are you mad? Linda is dead, Paul. I’m not leaving her.”
Paul looked at the roof door—it was getting weaker fast from the brute force of the dead on the other side—“Henry, that door isn’t going to hold much longer, we have to go,” he said and grabbed Katie to get her up.
“You two go,” Henry said in despair.
“Henry, please,” Katie begged.
“Just go!” Henry shouted.
“Come on,” Paul said to Katie and they headed to the roof edge.
Katie kept looking at Henry and Paul had to pull her away. “We can’t leave him,” she said.
“He’s made his decision. Come on,” Paul told her.
The buildings in this neighborhood were old and had virtually no guard railing around the roofs, so it was possible to jump to the next building. Paul walked Katie up to the edge and all she saw was the nine-story drop. “I can’t do this!” she protested.
Paul pointed back at the roof door that was about to give way to the dead. “We have no choice! It’s not that far. You’re a fast runner, Katie. We’ll step back a ways and you’ll do it!”
“You first?” she said out of fear.
“No. You go first!” he insisted. “You can do it, Katie. You have to do it, for our child.”
That got her attention and her fright changed to determination. She forgot about Paul as she looked ahead, breathed deeply, and sprinted for the edge. Her arms and legs flailed wildly as she flew across the gap between the buildings. She landed on the other roof and rolled after contact. She scraped her elbows, but she was fine.
Paul was next.
“Henry, please come with us?” Paul said.
“I’m fine, mate. Linda and I are going to stay up here until this blows over,” he said, now out of touch with reality.
“Take care,” Paul said and ran.
He landed on the other roof with Katie. His landing was harder, but he made it. They both looked back to see if Henry was coming—he wasn’t. Paul rushed to the door on this roof and it was locked. “Shit!”
Henry still sat there with Linda in his arms, content just to be with her. Part of the roof door busted off and the dead reached out with clawing arms. They saw Henry sitting there and wanted out even more feverishly. He decided he wanted to leave after all. “Goodbye, love,” he said and kissed her on the cheek. He put her head down gently and went over to the edge. “Wait!” he shouted.
Paul and Katie were on the other side of the roof, but came back to Henry’s call. “Come on. Jump!” Paul yelled.
Henry stepped back and prepared to jump . . . behind him, Linda rose to her feet . . . he ran with all his might, but he was overweight and it slowed him down. He jumped and flew in the air, but hadn’t gained enough momentum. Henry slammed onto the edge of the building with his chest. The wind was knocked out of him, but he held on as half his body dangled over the edge. Paul ran to him and locked onto his friend’s arms. He had him, but then Paul glanced up and his jaw dropped from disbelief. The thing that had been Linda jumped off the roof with enraged, infected eyes and flew at Henry, the loose, blood-soaked bandage around her neck trailing behind, making her look like the red baron of death.
She landed right on Henry’s back and clamped on him hard, the impact easily breaking all of his ribs. Linda tore into Henry’s neck and back to consume his flesh. “Jesus!” Paul shouted as he tried to hold on, but the weight was too much and he lost his grip. Henry and Linda fell, with him screaming all the way down. Paul looked over the edge and saw the smashed heap that had been his friends splattered in the alleyway. A shadow came over Paul’s face.
“Paul, lookout!” Katie yelled.
He looked up to see another undead midair between the buildings. He pushed himself back just as the corpse hit the edge where he was. The thing tried to grab hold, but lost its grip and fell. He saw more on the other roof, so he got off his ass. “Run!” he shouted to Katie.
They ran to the other side of the roof and looked at the next building, it was about the same height as the one they were standing on and a little closer. They had no choice, as they looked back to see several of the undead jumping across to their roof, some missing completely and falling, a few managing to nail it and hanging on.
They clawed themselves onto the roof with Paul and Katie…
“I don’t think I can make this jump!” Katie said in a panic.
Paul thought about it. “I’ll go first so I can catch you.”
“Okay,” she answered with uncertainty.
Paul took her face in his hands. “You can do this.” he kissed her and stepped back for the jump.
He ran full stride and jumped off, landing on the roof safely. Katie saw that he made it, but she was still scared. “I’m heavier than you and I made it. Come on!” Paul shouted across to her. Katie readied herself to jump; she glanced back and saw a few of the undead get to their feet behind her. She cried out in fear as they ran toward her. Paul could see them as well. “Run, Katie! Jump! JUMP!” he shouted.
Katie’s heart was a trampoline and fear was a child on it as she ran for the edge and jumped off. Paul was ready with open arms as she sailed toward him. She landed in his embrace and they fell to the ground, but they didn’t have time to waste as the first fast mover ran off the other roof after them. It got a face full of bricks as it hit the side of the building and fell screeching madly—more were coming.
Paul and Katie hurried to the roof door, but this one was locked as well. They had no time to check for another way down as many undead were trying to jump onto their roof, most falling because they didn’t remember how to jump. Some were barely making it as they hung onto the edge and pulled themselves up.
The desperate couple ran to the other side of the rooftop and looked at what was before them. The next building was two-stories higher than the roof they were on and it was a little over fifteen feet away. There was no way they could jump to that roof. Desperately, Paul saw the fire escape in front of them. “We have to jump for the fire escape!” he told Katie.
“What? I can’t!” Katie replied, near hysteria.
Paul looked back and saw the undead at the other side of the roof—they saw them—“We have no choice! They’re coming!” he shouted at her. “Together. We’ll jump together!”